On April 6, 2018 a collection of whimsical origami three-dimensional sculptures will be on sale at the Venvi Gallery to benefit the art department of The School of Arts and Sciences of Thomasville (SAST). The artist, nine-year-old Vishal Pamulapati, is the son of the gallery owner and a student of SAST, a local charter school focused on “hands-on learning” through “project-based” instruction.

Not new to selling his art in support of worthwhile causes, Vishal was a participating artist at Artopia 2016 and 2017, where he sold, respectively, an acrylic and watercolor and four origami dragons to benefit Big Bend Cares.

Vishal first learned origami from his neighbor Srinivasa Kishore. Since then, his interest has been nurtured by SAST, which offers an after school class on the art form as well as supportive teachers. Praising his “precision, time and dedication,” Vishal’s fourth grade teacher Elisa Reino says that, after he finishes his classwork, Vishal is often busy “practicing intricate folds or trying to learn a new skill in origami.” In Rachel Vesia’s art class, where Vishal served as a classroom assistant during an origami lesson last quarter, both teacher and fellow students are, in Vesia’s words, “impressed by his creations and … excited to see what he is going to make next.”

A versatile artist, Vishal also draws, paints, and makes crafts with papier-mâché, cardboard, and clay. Yet, origami, more than any other art, has engrossed and inspired him. According to Vishal, what he most enjoys about origami is the ability to create something concrete from the imagination, to turn the abstract into something tangible. With origami, he says, “Anything that comes to your mind – you can make it with a sheet of paper.”

In his origami practice, he uses a variety of paper types – including kami, washi, and metallic foil – as well as techniques – including still-lifes, action origami, and tessellations, or geometric patterns in the style of European or Islamic tile work. His designs range from more traditional pieces, such as polka-dotted cranes, to more contemporary, quirky objects, such as a pair of silver nail clippers, a YouTube logo, and emoji faces. Some of his most accomplished works include a 16-point star pendant – an instance of modular origami, or origami made from multiple interlocking pieces – and, of course, his red dragons, delicately formed figures from textured washi paper. The dragon holds a preeminent place in Vishal’s imagination, he suggests, because that is the mascot of the school of which he is so proud.

Between 50 and 100 of Vishal’s origami works, ranging in price from $2 to $60, will be displayed in the Cypress room from 5 to 8 pm. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to purchase art supplies and storage for the SAST art department. The fundraiser coincides with the show “Brinda Pamulapati: Texture in Colors,” a series of abstract acrylics on view April 6 – May 12, 2018.

The Venvi Gallery is located in the "Places on Parks" at 2901 E. Park Ave, Suite 2800, Tallahassee, FL 32301. Information about the gallery, directions, and upcoming shows can be found at https://www.venviartgallery.com/ or by calling (850) 322-0965.

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